Die By The Sword Pc

Die By The Sword is the second most annoying game ever made. The first is Abe's Oddysee, but for different reasons.DBTS is a fairly decent action game in the mould of Deathtrap Dungeon, whereby you hack and slash your way through a series of levels in search of your kidnapped girlfriend. It goes without saying that the idea is to exact bloody revenge on all those who you come across.

Die by the Sword is a computer swordfighting game developed by Treyarch, and published by Tantrum Entertainment (a sub-brand of Interplay Productions) on February 28, 1998.The title's main selling point was the introduction of the VSIM control system, which allowed players to independently command the movement and swordfighting of their ingame avatars; running, jumping, and turning with one.

Another eden guide. In parts the game is hilariously funny - lop the leg off an ore, then pick it up and beat the next one to death with it. Unfortunately, the control method is so hideously cumbersome as to make the game almost unplayable unless you devote days to practicing its fine art. To recap: the mouse is used to wield your sword - in theory a fine idea, in practice a nightmare. There's a simpler arcade mode, but in all honesty it isn't simple enough.

Anyway, Limb From Limb is an expansion pack for DBTS that adds a new quest and gives you a choice of new characters to control. New weapons, arenas and multiplayer modes are also included. Limb From Limb doesn't so much add to the gameplay as double it. Graphically, the original game was never that great in the first place. The sound, however, remains highly enjoyable, adding more over-the-top Python-esque voice-overs. Sadly, the exact same control method remains in place, which means that if you hated the game the first time around, you'll still hate it.

The bloody action/adventure Die By The Sword has everything medieval gamers could want: ores, kobolds, floating swords, pendulums, puzzles, pretty maidens--plus, uh, some problems they could probably do without.

When Ores Attack

If you thought Lara Croft just didn't do enough in Tomb Raider, Die By The Sword offers more interaction--and far more bloodshed. As Enric, you'll have to hack-and-slash your way through eight levels of puzzles and traps, slaughtering the ogres, skeletons, and other unsavory enemies that get between you and your kidnapped love, Maya. If you score a good hit on an enemy's arm, it falls off--at which point you can pick it up and beat its original owner to death with it. Even after they're dead, you can divide them into tiny chunks. Mmm..beefy.

The graphics look nice for the most part, but textures sometimes look stretched on tunnel walls, while the heavily compressed cinemas border on unwatchable. And although the collision detection is dead-on for combat, your sword pokes through walls as if they weren't there. Fortunately, the heroic music and entertaining comments sound great.

The Kindest Cut

The real star of the game, however, is VSIM (Virtual Simulation), the unique control system that lets you realistically swing a sword with a mouse, keyboard, or force-feedback joystick. With your every blow, the game factors in power, speed, direction, angle, and resistance.This system is brilliant and worth every bit of its learning curve. The move editor lets you create and save your favorite attacks, too, so they're available during the game's gladiator-style mutliplayer arena combats--which rock on a local network, but generate gripes from Internet and modem players. With Sword's single-player quest so short, Tantrum desperately needs to solve these problems with a patch.

Dismembers Only

Even with such serious shortcomings, Die By The Sword makes the cut. VSIM is an exciting addition to the stagnant, neglected area of game control, and you'll find the overall experience worth putting up with the game's deficiencies. The stage has been set for a bloody good sequel.

ProTips

• Slice diagonally with your sword to sever your opponent's limbs. If they're armless, they're harmless!
• Skeletons are literally weak ih the knees. Attack low.